MALTON & Norton, who must notch a convincing win at leaders Bradford & Bingley next Saturday to prevent them taking the Yorkshire Division One title, only defeated derby rivals Scarborough because the visitors could not finish off attacks.

For long stretches, Scarborough had the edge in territory and possession, but Malton were more clinical and scraped a bonus-point 24-22 home win.

Malton opened the scoring in the second minute when they won a line-out deep in their own half, slick work by Zweli Sodladla, Sizwe Zondo and Ian Cooke paving the way for a maul and a touchdown in the corner for prop Ben Boothman.

Sodladla's touchline conversion made it 7-0 but that lead was cancelled out in the eighth minute when Scarborough won a line-out 20 metres out on the left, swift hands producing an overlap on the right for a converted try.

A line-out catch by Ali Coe then brought a try for Malton's Jamie Rounthwaite, Sodladla making it 14-7 – but the home side's front row were, for once, conceding penalties, Scarborough replying with an unconverted try.

But they should have taken the lead before half-time, a probable scoring pass being knocked on, while Malton also lost Boothman to a yellow card.

They did fall behind early in the second half when the Scarborough scrum half took a quick tap penalty and strolled over as Malton were preparing for a scrum, the conversion putting the visitors 19-14 up.

However, the hosts quickly levelled via left winger Ben Woodhouse's try but it did not last as Malton, frustrated as decisions went against them, were adjudged offside, the penalty putting Scarborough 22-19 ahead.

Composure regained, the hosts took the lead again with a try by flanker Coe, after a Josh Heggie pick and drive from the base of a scrum, but they still needed the visitors to hit an upright with a relatively easy penalty.

Saturday's match at Wagon Lane also doubles up as a Yorkshire Shield quarter-final.

Malton & Norton: S Zondo; I Cooke, V Dyantjies, Z Sodladla, B Woodhouse; N Daley, P Angus; R Featherstone, J Thornton, B Boothman, J Rounthwaite, J Lumley, A Coe, J Heggie, S Triffitt. Replacements: C Ramsay, E Gwilliam, S Emms.